The present invention relates to apparatuses used in the food industry for aseptically filling containers, and in particular to a device which carries out the actual container filling step.
In said industry apparatuses are already known which are used for aseptically filling containers which are supplied already sterile and provided with a mouth closed by a frangible membrane, as well as with a relevant lid. In order to maintain the sterile condition of the container, so as to guarantee the optimal storage of the product stored therein, the known apparatus includes a sterilization chamber in which the container mouth is locked and sterilized, together with the lid which will be heat sealed on said mouth after the filling. The description of such an apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,363, to which reference is made for further details.
The actual filling step is carried out through a fill tube, sterilized in turn, which is lowered into said sterilization chamber and performs a double task. First of all the tube carries at its distal end a pointed member which ruptures the sealing membrane of the sterile container. Whereafter, once the tube has entered the container and abuts on the mouth with a tapered end portion, there is opened a valve also located at the tube end through which the container is filled with the product.